Furniture system having means for connecting sub-assemblies thereof

ABSTRACT

In a unitized furniture structure wherein prefabricated components or sub-assemblies are arranged in side-to-side abutment to form a free-standing integral unit, means are provided for rapidly fastening and locking adjacent subassemblies together to complete the structure.

United States Patent [191 Sasnett 1451 July 17, 1973 1 FURNITURE SYSTEM HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING SUB-ASSEMBLIES THEREOF [75] lnventor: Russell M. Sasnett, Louisville, Ky

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

' Louisville, Ky.

[22] Filed: July 1, 1971 [211 Appl. No.: 158,850

[521 U.S.Cl ..3l2/l98,312/108,312/l11,

312/263 [51] Int. Cl A47b 53/00, F16b 12/00 [58] Field of Search 312/107, 111, 140,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,752,215 6/1956 Peiss 312/111 3,159,433 12/1964 Carlson et a1 312/111 1,017,962 2/1912 Fliedner et a1 312/111 UX 1,742,141 12/1929 Hicks 312/1 11 2,096,942 10/1937 Suters 312/140 2,227,884 1/1941 Gymer et a1. 312/111 2,790,691 4/1957 Gocbel i H 312/111 3,203,744 8/1965 Batkc ct a1 312/1 11 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 257,296 5/1927 Great Britain 312/111 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam AttorneyGeorge C. Atwell et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT In a unitized furniture structure wherein prefabricated components or sub-assemblies are arranged in side-toside abutment to form a free-standing integral unit, means are provided for rapidly fastening and locking adjacent sub assemblies together to complete the structure.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENIEBJUL'WW 3.746.417.

" sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR RUSSELL M. SAS'NETT ATTORNEY FURNITURE SYSTEM HAVING MEANS FOR CONNECTING SUB-ASSEMBLIES THEREOF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a copending patent application, Ser. No. 221,190, entitled Modular Furnishing", a concept is disclosed for furnishing a living area such as a kitchen that includes provision of self-supporting modular components or sub-assemblies. Each of the sub-assemblies are of different sizes whereby various different combinations can be formed from a predetermined set of the sub-assemblies. The sub-assemblies are designed to be easily handled and transported to an installation site where they are joined together in a linear arrangement to form an integrated self-supporting unit.

The present invention comprehends sub-assemblies of. such a system being equipped with connecting means whereby adjacent sub-assemblies may be properly positioned and then aligned in relation to each other after which only a single-step operation is required to fasten adjacent sub-assemblies to each other and thereby form the integrated unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In its preferred form the present invention comprises, in a furniture system having at least two structurallyseparate sub-assemblies adapted to be arranged in contiguous side-byside registration to form an integral furniture structure, means for firmly connecting one of the sub-assemblies to an adjacent one. The connecting means broadly comprises a slotted area such as a slotlike groove in the side surface of a first of the subassemblies disposed to match up with a similar groove in the opposite sub-assemblys side surface when the sides are brought into registration for connection. The grooves align or register with each other and form a rearward-extending receiving cavity or throat. Rigid ridge means projects from the portion of the subassemblys side surface marking the periphery of the groove and extends across the groove in a spaced-apart relation to the grooves back side. An elongated rodlike insertion member is adapted to be pushed into the throat formed by the registered grooves. The insertion member is designed to exert pressure on the ridge means projecting across each groove. The engagement of the insertion member with the ridge means serves to lock the sub-assemblies in firm side-by-side abutment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from theensuing description when read with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. I is a perspective view illustrating a pair of subassemblies prior to being connected together, and showing one form of the connecting means of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of an integral structure comprising three sub'assemblies connected together in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the front corner of a pair of sub-assemblies clamped together by the connecting means first shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a portion of a subassembly in accordance with the present invention, showing some of the elements of the connecting means first shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view showing the upper front corners of two sub-assemblies in accordance with the present invention, having structure therewith to illustrate an alternate embodiment of the connecting means of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a pair of subassemblies having structure therewith in accordance with still another embodiment of the connecting means of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section of a pair of sub-assemblies fastened together with the connecting means first shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a view taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 7, but showing a connecting component or insertion member installed therein, whereas the latter member is not shown in FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS It is contemplated that the furniture system and the connecting means for use therewith, as disclosed herein, will be most useful in facilitating the rapid furnishing of a kitchen area in a dwelling such as a private home or apartment. Therefore, the illustrated assemblies, such as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are designed'spebase cabinet 13 and an upper cabinet 13a. Each base cabinet 13 has a substantially rectangular configuration whereby the end or side surfaces 14 are perpendicular to the front side 15. A connecting means 16 is provided for fastening the sub-assemblies 11 together when the adjacent sides 14 thereof are moved into abutment with each other.

The connecting means 16 comprises an open side area which may take the form of a slot-like recess or groove 17 that extends from the'front side of the base cabinet 13 rearwardly in the side surface 14. The connecting means 16 further comprises ridge means lo cated on thesub-assemblies. The ridge means includes at least first and second projections, and each projection may take the form of a plurality of spaced-apart studs 18. Each stud 18 extends through the groove 17 in a plane parallel tothe surface 14. Each stud 18 is wholly within the groove area whereby it does not project outwardly past the edge of the side surface 14, and is in a spaced-apart relation to the back side of the groove 17. When the groove 17 at the side of one of the sub-assemblies II comes into mating registration with the groove 17 at the side of the other sub-assembly 11, a tunnel-like receiving cavity or throat 19 is formed thereby. The throat 19 is adapted to receive a connecting component or insertion member, shown as a channel bar 20 in FIG. I, that is manually pushed into the throat 19 to complete the connecting operation that binds the sub-assemblies together. The channel bar 20 is elongated to extend almost the full depth of the base cabinet 13, and, as viewed in cross-section, has the configuration of three sides of a rectangle. Considered lengthwise, the bar 20 has a fiat body portion 21 with rigid parallel legs or sides 22 co-extending from the long edges of the body portion 21. The sides 22 exert a clamping action by forcing studs 18 of one subassembly toward the other sub-assembly.

In placing the sub-assemblies 11 into position such that their adjacent sides 14 are in contact and the respective grooves 17 thereof are in registration to form the cavity 19, guide means may be provided to aid in initially aligningthe side surfaces. One of the subassemblies may have a projecting tongue or nose portion 23 along its side that mates with a recess or groove 24 in the opposite sub-assembly, so that the proper vertical alignment of the adjacent sub-assemblies is easily attained.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, a structural member in the form of an elongated rigid angle iron or corner member 28 may be utilized in constructing the base cabinet 13. The angle iron 28 (which may be formed from steel, aluminum, etc.) connects the panel having the surface 14 to a horizontal panel 29 constituting part of the top side of the base cabinet 13. Suitable screws or bolts may be used to affix the angle iron 28 to the cabinet top and side. The panel forming the side 14 of the base cabinet 13 may be purposely short whereby it terminates below the end of the panel 29 and thereby forms the groove 17. The angle iron 28 gives structural rigidity to the base cabinet 13 and may also be utilized to provide a plurality of spaced-apart rigid tab portions 30 that extend outwardly into the groove 17. Each tab portion 30 serves as a base for one of the upstanding studs 18. As shown in FIG. 4, each tab portion 30 may be a portion of one side of the angle iron 28 that is turned perpendicular thereto whereby it is disposed to extend across the bottom of the slot 17. The stud 18 may then be an upstanding projection integral to the tab 30, disposed (see FIG. 3) in a spaced-apart relation to the vertical side of the angle iron 28 such that a leg or side-22 of the channel bar 20 will slide between the stud l8 and the vertical side of the angle iron 28. The angle iron 28 thus serves a dual function; it acts as a bracket or brace for the base cabinet corner, and it has portions thereof serving as parts of the connecting means 16.

In FIG. base cabinet comer portions of a representative pair of sub-assemblies 11 are shown having an alternative embodiment of the connecting means 16. In this embodiment, each groove 17 is flanked by a rigid plate member 32. The plate member 32 is elongated to extend horizontally along the lower edge of the groove 17 and has an upstanding portion 33 sewing as the ridge means that extends across each groove 17. Each upstanding portion 33, in this embodiment, is one of the projections of the ridge means. The plate member 32 is inset into the side surface 14 whereby the outer surface of the plate member is flush with the surface 14. The inside surface of the upstanding portion 33 is spaced away from the back side of the groove 17. It should be noted also that the inside surface of the upstanding portion 33 may be provided with a narrow longitudinal indentation or trough 34 to facilitate the engagement of an insertion member 35 therealong.

FIG. 5 shows that the insertion member 35 is similar to the member of FIG. 1 except that the lower edges or distal ends 37 of sides 36 of the member 35 are projected inwardly toward each other to track in the troughs 34 as the member 35 is installed. The member 35 is preferably substantially rigid although it may be constructed of spring steel highly resistance to deformation so that it effects a clamping action on the plate portions 33. Once the sub-assemblies 1 1 shown in FIG. 5 have been maneuvered into position whereby their adjacent sides 14 are 'in contact and properly aligned, generally as heretofore described with reference to FIG. 1, the end of the insertion member 35 is started into the throat 19 formed by the registered grooves 17 such that the ends 37 of the insertion member 35 slidably engage in the respective troughs 34. The insertion member 35 may then be manually forced inwardly into the throat 19 whereby the plate members 32 are held firmly against each other to anchor the sub-assemblies one to the other.

FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 illustrate still another embodiment of the connecting means of the present invention. This version is somewhat more complex than the means heretofore described and constitutes an arrangement wherein frictional resistance to placing the insertion member into its installed position to complete the connection of a pair of adjacent sub-assemblies is held to a minimum.

In FIG. 6 a pair of the representative sub-assemblies 11 are illustrated. The adjacent side surfaces 14 of the respective sub-assemblies each has a groove 17 therein for forming, when the sides 14 are brought into proper registration, the throat 19 to receive a connecting component in the form of an insertion member 40. The insertion member 40 is a rigid elongated bar shaped similar to an I-Beam. With reference to FIG. 8, the insertion member 40 may also be described as an elongated bar that is substantially rectangular in cross-section and has oppositely facing longitudinal side grooves 41. The insertion member 40 is adapted to slide into its installed position such that rollers 42 are slidably engaged in the longitudinal side grooves 41 of the member 40. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each wheel or roller 42 is journalled on a stud 43 whereby it is rotatable about a vertical axis. Each stud 43 projects either upwardly or downwardly from a base plate 44. The plate 44 is at-' tached to the panel of the sub-assembly having side surface 14, adjacent an edge of the groove 17. Each groove 17 is shown as having a pair of the base plates 44 mounted in a spaced-apart relation therealong. Each plate 44 projects outwardly relative to the side surface 14 to which it is attached and is perpendicular thereto whereby, when the adjacent sides 14 of the subassemblies 11 are moved into registration, the plate 44 will project across the throat 19 formed by the registered grooves 17 such that the roller 42 carried thereon is disposed within the groove 17 opposite the groove from which the plate 44 extends. The back sides of the grooves 17 are open to enable proper disposition of the rollers 42. When the adjacent sub-assemblies II 'are in position such that the respective grooves 17 form the throat 19 to receive the insertion member 40, each roller 42 is horizontally off-set relative to adjacent rollers 42 of the connecting means 16. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 accomplishes the same purpose, that of tightly attaching one sub-assembly to the other, as do the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1-5; however, the connecting means in FIGS. 6-8 differs to the extend that connection is made by a wedging action rather'than a clamping action. The insertion member 40 is shaped to track on the rollers 42 as shown in FIG. 8 and is wedged therebetween such that its longitudinal central portion 47 tends to exert pressure outward from the central portion 47 to force rollers 42 on one side thereof away from the rollers 42 on the opposite side thereof. Rotation of the wheels 42,

as the member 40 is pushed horizontally into position to lock the sub-assemblies together, reduces the friction of the wedging action so that the member 40 may be more easily manually driven or tapped into place. The rollers or wheels 42 constitute the ridge means structure of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 6-8; and the rollers on one sub-assembly are a projection portion of the ridge means.

Having described several contemplated embodiments of the connecting means of the present invention, its use for completing a furniture arrangement may be further considered. With reference to FIG. 2, three separate sub-assemblies 50, 51, and 52 are connected together in a linear arrangement to form an in tegrated furniture unit or kitchen system arrangement 53. Each of the sub-assemblies shown in FIG. 2 is designed for a specific purpose. The sub-assembly 50 is primarily a storage module having a base cabinet with hinged door panels over a storage area and a drawer thereabove. The upper portion of the sub-assembly is provided with a pair of hinged doors that may be pulled outwardly to reveal storage shelves therein. The subassembly 50 is united with the sub-assembly 53 along the vertical line denoted by the numeral 54 extending from the lower extremities of the base cabinet 13 to the upper extremities of the upper cabinet 13a.

The sub-assembly'53 is designed to contain a double sink unit and a built-in automatic dishwashing machine in its base portion, along with storage areas behind drawers and hinged door panels as shown. The upper end of the sub-assembly 53 is similar to the upper portion of the sub-assembly 50 inasmuch as there are shelves behind hinged door panels providing additional storage space. The sub-assembly 51 is united to the sub-assembly 52 along the vertical line denoted by the numeral 55.

The sub-assembly 52 is designed to receive and contain a refrigerator therein, so its base portion is substantially higher and differently shaped than that of the subassemblies 50 and 51 heretofore described. Its upper portion is similar in that it contains additional storage area behind hinged door panels. It is presently intended that the refrigerator sub-assembly will generally be used as an end module in completing a unitized kitchen structure.

The unitized structure formed by joining the subassemblies 50, 51, and 52 is self-supporting such that it need not be attached to or even contiguous to a kitchen wall surface. The connecting means 16 utilized in combination with the sub-assemblies 50, 51, and 52 may be in the form of any one of the embodiments heretofore described or a modification or variation thereof falling within the scope of the claims appended to this specification. The connecting means is also intended for use generally as shown and described and for use with modules not specifically described or illustrated. For an example of the latter, reference should be made to patent application Ser. No. 221,190 referred to hereinbefore, where corner sub-assemblies are disclosed as part of a kitchen system concept.

The connecting means 16 may further be provided with a small snap-in cover (not shown) for closing over 6 the access end of the throat l9 and hiding the connecting means from view. In the design of sub-assemblies for completing a kitchen structure as shown in FIG. 2,

most points of connection will be concealed by closed drawers or door panels. Further, a unitary counter-top (not shown) to be attached across: the top of the base cabinets may have a short forwardly extending lip that tends to block the view of the area of the connecting means when the drawers or doors are open. A particular feature of the present invention as seen in FIG. 1 lies in the provision of free-standing sub-assemblies suitable for use in a kitchen area comprising upper and lower cabinet sections and having rigid support means therebetween such that connection only between lower portions of adjacent sub-assemblies unitizes the structure without the requirement of special interconnection between adjacent upper sections.

In general, a conventional kitchen cabinet arrange ment extends from the kitchen floor and upwardly approximately seven feet to a box-like soffit provided along the upper wall area. Conventional floor supported cabinet sections of such an arrangement are usually about 24 inches from front to back. Upper cabinets of lesser depth are normally fastened into wall studs in a spaced arrangement from the lower cabinet sections. The sub-assemblies of the system of this invention for use in a kitchen area are sized generally in accordance with the aforementioned measurements but differ substantially from conventional installations particularly in that each bottom cabinet section or base cabinet 13 supports its own upper cabinet section 13a in spaced relation thereto, whereby a work area wall 57 is defined between the bottom section and the upper section. Each upper section 13a has opposite side surfaces 58 substantially in the same vertical plane as the side surface 14 of the bottom section therebelow whereby joining adjacent bottom sections 13 together in contiguous side to side relationship serves to register the adjacent top sections 13a. A single quick hookup between the bottom sections 13, by means of a member such as bar 20, is all that is required to hold adjacent bottom sections 13 and the adjacent top sections 13a together to form a unitized structure as shown in FIG. 2. Holding the sub-assemblies in abutting side-to-side registration does not require special interconnection between the upper cabinet sections 13a. This is because of the rigid support of each upper section 13a on its lower section 13 whereby the gripping force of the connecting means between lower sections 13 is translated through the rigid structure to hold the upper sections 13a in position.

Although the preceding description and the various figures of the drawing pertain to illustrative embodiments of the invention, it is intended that the appended claims set forth the scope of the invention and it is specifically not intended that the invention be in anyway limited to particular details of construction in the examples presented.

I claim:

I. A kitchen cabinet system having at least two structurally separate, free-standing cabinet sub-assemblies adapted to be arranged in contiguous side-by-side registration to form an integral fumiture structure, each of the sub-assemblies comprising:

a bottom cabinet section;

an upper cabinet section;

a work area void defined between the bottom and upper cabinet sections;

rigid support means spanning the work area void and supporting the upper section on the bottom section;

the sections each having vertical side surfaces perpendicular to the respective section front side and with each side surface of the upper section being in the same vertical plane as the side surface of the bottom section therebelow;

means operable from the front side of the subassemblies for firmly connecting one of the subassemblies to an adjacent one, said connecting means including:

complimentary recesses formed in the side surfaces of each bottom section and adapted to register one with the other so as to define a rearward extending throat when the bottom section side surfaces of adjacent sub-assemblies are aligned contiguously with each other;

the throat having ridge means therein including at least a first and a second projection;

at least one of said projections extending laterally across said throat in overlapping relation to said second projection; and

an elongated rod-like insertion member adapted to be pushed into the throat for engaging the ridge means of each adjacent bottom section whereby the sub-assemblies are thereafter joined in firm contiguous abutment with each other.

2. A furniture system having at least two structurally separate sub-assemblies to be joined in contiguous sideby-side registration to form an integral furniture structure, comprising:

means disposed on facing sidewalls of adjacent subassemblies for vertically aligning said subassemblies when placed in abutting relationship; complementary recesses formed in the adjacent side walls of each of the sub-assemblies to define a rearwardly extending throat when the side walls of two sub-assemblies are in abutting relationship;

ridge means secured to said side walls extending into said throat;

an elongated member for engaging the ridge means when said member is inserted into said throat to hold said sub-assemblies in firm side-by-side abutment;

the ridge means comprising rollers attached to and extending from each of the side walls of said subassemblies into the recess of the adjacent subassembly in overlapping relationship when the side walls of two sub-assemblies are in abutting relationship,

the elongated member being insertable between said overlapped rollers for exerting a wedging pressure therebetween to hold said sub-assemblies in firm side-by-side abutment. 

1. A kitchen cabinet system having at least two structurally separate, free-standing cabinet sub-assemblies adapted to be arranged in contiguous side-by-side registration to form an integral furniture structure, each of the sub-assemblies comprising: a bottom cabinet section; an upper cabinet section; a work area void defined between the bottom and upper cabinet sections; rigid support means spanning the work area void and supporting the upper section on the bottom section; the sections each having vertical side surfaces perpendicular to the respective section front side and with each side surface of the upper section being in the same vertical plane as the side surface of the bottom section therebelow; means operable from the front side of the sub-assemblies for firmly connecting one of the sub-assemblies to an adjacent one, said connecting means including: complimentary recesses formed in the side surfaces of each bottom section and adapted to register one with the other so as to define a rearward extending throat when the bottom section side surfaces of adjacent sub-assemblies are aligned contiguously with each other; the throat having ridge means therein including at least a first and a second projection; at least one of said projections extending laterally across said throat in overlapping relation to said second projection; and an elongated rod-like insertion member adapted to be pushed into the throat for engaging the ridge means of each adjacent bottom section whereby the sub-assemblies are thereafter joined in firm contiguous abutment with each other.
 2. A furniture system having at least two structurally separate sub-assemblies to be joined in contiguous side-by-side registration to form an integral furniture structure, comprising: means disposed on facing side walls of adjacent sub-assemblies for vertically aligning said sub-assemblies when placed in abutting relationship; complementary recesses formed in the adjacent side walls of each of the sub-assemblies to define a rearwardly extending throat when the side walls of two sub-assemblies are in abutting relationship; ridge means secured to said side walls extending into said throat; an elongated member for engaging the ridge means when said member is inserted into said throat to hold said sub-assemblies in firm side-by-side abutment; the ridge means comprising rollers attached to and extending from each of the side walls of said sub-assemblies into the recess of the adjacent sub-assembly in overlapping relationship when the side walls of two sub-assemblies are in abutting relationship, the elongated member being insertable between said overlapped rollers for exerting a wedging pressure therebetween to hold said sub-assemblies in firm side-by-side abutment. 